It’s feeding time again this Saturday
with Ann’s Foodie Walk…
The peach tree is a tree of no great
bigness, wrote Gerard in his Herbal in 1597. He had various sorts in his
garden, but generally you need a walled garden, warm summers, and probably a
full time gardener to actually put the peaches you grow on your table. Even the
peaches you buy need a lot of TLC before reaching their peak of juicy
perfection. And after all that, it seems heresy to turn them into a pie.
But you might try a peach crisp – kind
of crumble, with crispier topping. Here’s a recipe from a favorite book of
desserts by Lindsay Shere, pastry chef at La Panisse in Berkeley, California.
It is simply delicious.
Serves 6-8: 4 lbs ripe peaches, 1
tablespoon sugar if needed
Topping: ½ cup almonds, 7/8 cup
flour,1/3 cup brown sugar, 4tsp. granulated sugar, 1/3 cup butter
Toast almonds in the oven (temp.350)
for 4-6 mins. Cool and chop coarsely – ¼ inch chunks. Mix flour and sugars, rub
in butter. Peel and slice peaches, place in shallow ovenproof dish with sugar
if needed, sprinkle over topping. Bake 40 mins., temp.375. Serve warm with
cream.
Epicurean, Gourmets', Foodies' London, Saturday,
August 17. It goes at 10 am from Monument Tube, the Fish Street Hill exit
A
London Walk costs £9 – £7 concession. To join a London Walk, simply meet your
guide at the designated tube station at the appointed time. Details of all
London Walks can be found at www.walks.com